Indian
At a glance:
- Series: American Indians Ready Reference
- Categories: Social Science
- Subcategories: Native Americans, American Indians
- Curriculum: American Indian History
- Geographical Location: West Indies, North America, South America
- Date: Fifteenth century-present
Article abstract: In its use to refer to the native peoples of the Americas, the term “Indian” is based on historical error.
In the late fifteenth century, there was some disagreement over the size of the earth, although it had been accurately determined by the ancient Greeks many centuries earlier. Christopher Columbus and explorers who followed him believed the earth's circumference to be roughly half what it is known to be today.
The purpose of the early explorations of the Americas was to find a pathway to India by sailing west instead of east...
[The entire page is 275 words long]
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